Evaporating apparatus.



No. 644,529. Patented Feb. ,27, I900.

J. MECR-EDY.

EVAPOBATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 14:, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES JAMES MEOREDY, OF

LONDON, ENGLAND.

EVAPORATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,529, dated February27, 1900.

Application filed August 14, 1899.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES MECREDY, barrister-at-law, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain, residing at Brick Court, Temple, London,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Ooncentrating or Drying Liquid or Semiliquid Substances byEvaporation, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to apparatus for concentrating or drying liquid orsemiliquid substances by the partial or entire evaporation of theirwater or more volatile constituents, and has for its object to eifectsuch evaporation rapidly and in such manner as to permit any degree ofconcentration to be obtained and to cause said evaporation to proceedevenly throughout the mass of the substance treated,so that aperfectly-homogeneo us product is obtained.

According to my invention I employ a rotatable cylinder which keeps thesubstance agitated during evaporation and exposes a film of the saidsubstance to a current of air passing over the periphery of the saidcylinder. The air is preferably warmed, and I also provide means wherebythe cylinder may be heated if required.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carriedinto efiect, I will proceed to describe the same fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a part-sectional sideelevation, and Fig. 2 is an end view, of my apparatus.

a is a hollow rotary cylinder of metal, having inwardly-curved flanges bb at its ends and a draw-off cock 0. The inner periphery of thiscylinder is preferably enameled.

d is a framework of any suitable construction, upon which the cylinder ais supported by means of roller-bearings e c.

f is a band or pulley, secured to the outside of the cylinder by meansof set-screws g g.

h is an endless band passing around the pulley f and also around apulley on a rotary shaft 1', which shaft is actuated from any suitablesource of power.

j is a pipe through which a current of air, preferably heated, isconducted from anysuite able source into one end of the cylinder at. Themouth of the pipe j is funnel-shaped and Serial No. 727,199- (No model.)

has a cone is situated within it. The base of this cone is is ofsomewhat less diameter than the diameter of the openings at the ends ofthe cylinder, and said base extends a short distance into one end of thecylinder. The current of air passes between the funnelshaped mouth ofthe pipej and the cone is. The cone 7c serves to distribute or spreadthe current of air, so as to cause the said air to impinge upon theinner periphery of the cylinder a.

l is a gas-supply pipe situated beneath the cylindera and fitted withburners m, whereby the said cylinder may be heated if required.

The substance to be evaporated is poured into the cylinder at throughthe open end thereof which is opposite to the air-pipej. The cylinder 0is then caused to rotate by means of the belt h and rotary shaft 2', anda current of air is passed through it by means of the pipe 7' and cone70. As the cylinder rotates a thin film of the substance under treatmentadheres to the upwardly-moving side of and is carried around with saidcylinder. At the same time the body of the substance is agitated and thesettlement or separation of the heavier from the lighter particlesthereof is prevented without the aid of stirrers. The inwardly-curvedflanges b I) prevent the escape of any of the substance from the ends ofthe cylinder. When the substance is concentrated or evaporated to therequired degree, the operation is stopped, and the finished product maythen be drawn off by means of the cock 0. A large surface of thesubstance in the form of a thin film is thus subjected to the dryingaction,which latteris consequently very rapid.

Owing to its open construction the cylinder is very easily cleaned.

What I claim is- 1. In evaporating apparatus, the combination of ahollow rotary cylinder having open ends each constructed with anannular, in wardly-curved flange to retain the material to be treatedtherein, an air-supply pipe having a mouth arranged to deliver air intoone of the annularly-curved flanged open ends of said cylinder, a devicearranged in the mouth of said pipe for directing the air toward theinner surface of the cylinder, means for rotating the cylinder, andmeans for heating said cylinder, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. In evaporating apparatus, the combination of a hollow rotary cylinderhaving open ends, each constructed with an annular, inwardly-curvedflange to retain the material to be treated therein, an air-supplypipehav-' ing a funnel-shaped mouth arranged to deliver air into one of theannularly curvcd flanged openings of said cylinder, a device arranged inthe funnel-shaped mouth of said pipe for directing the air into thecylinder toward the inner surface thereof, means for rotating saidcylinder, and means for heating said cylinder, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

3. In evaporating apparatus, the combination of a hollow rotary cylinderhaving open ends provided with means for retaining the material to betreated in said cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, anair-supply pipe having a funnel-shaped month, an air-distributing conelocated in the funnel-shaped mouth of said pipe and having its baseextended into one end of said rotary cylinder, and means for heating thecylinder, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In evaporating apparatus, the combination of a hollow rotary cylinderto receive the material to be treated, means for rotating said cylinder,an air-supply pipe having a funnelshaped month, an air-distributing conel0- catcd in the funnel-shaped mouth of said pipe and having its baseextended into one end of the said rotary cylinder, gas-burners forexternally heating said cylinder, and a draw-off cock for removing thecontents of the cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of twosubscribing witnesses, this 20th day of July, 1899.

JAMES MECREDY.

Witnesses:

J. CoLLINs, Faun. C. HARRIS.

